60 Second Report on Economic Zoology. 
Agricultural College, this and another snail caused much loss 
amongst mustard plants, coming down, whenever there was any 
moisture, from the chalk downs above the farm. H. virgata is one 
of the species that has given rise to the popular notion that snails 
come down in the rain. It is an extremely abundant and gregarious 
species, and may be seen in damp weather in vast numbers clinging 
to the plants. Directly the air becomes dry it retires into the 
ground amongst the herbage, and there remains hidden until fresh 
rain comes, wdien it suddenly reappears. In dry weather it becomes 
dispersed by the wind, particularly on the downs and sandy heaths, 
and especially along the sea-coast. Although, as above shown, it 
sometimes does much harm it is said to have the redeeming quality 
of imparting a fine flavour to our south-country mutton, being taken 
up by the sheep when grazing, and considered to be very nutritious. 
There is no doubt of that, though it is certainly doubtful if they 
flavour the meat. H. virgata is active in the coldest weather and 
does not hibernate. During the cold winter of 1894 I found, on the 
downs at Wye, many specimens of this species quite active. Eggs 
are laid in clusters of three or four from September to November and 
even in December. The shell is conical, with a broad and convex 
base, white or creamy, with a single purplish-brown band above the 
periphery, and sometimes as many as six or seven below it, more 
often two or three : the colour is very variable, sometimes plain 
white, brown, or grey, with white bands ; occasionally the dark bands 
are broken, so as to make the shell appear spotted ; whorls G, 
last = J-shell ; mouth purplish inside, with a strong rib, sometimes 
purple, sometimes white. Several varieties are known. The body 
of this snail is dusky grey, and coarsely tubercled; mantle, dark 
violet, speckled with white and brown. 
H. cap&rata is a sluggish species which seldom moves except after 
rain. It is found generally under stones and wood, and on grass 
stalks in dry places. It is very abundant often in corn-fields. 
The ova, round, white, and opaque, are laid iu September and 
October, each snail depositing about forty, which hatch in three 
weeks. The young are quite transparent. I have seen it doing 
much harm in France. H. caper at a differs from II. virgata in its 
much smaller size, its flattened spire, its larger umbilicus, and the 
rib-like striae which encircle each whorl. There are other snails 
which now and then become superabundant and do harm, but so far 
they are of exceptional occurrence. 
Of slugs the three most destructive species are Avion ater, Limax 
agrestis , and L. maxima s. 
